


New Hair New Billy

by kingsofhawkins



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Billy Hargrove Gets A Haircut, Billy Hargrove Has a Crush on Steve Harrington, M/M, Steve’s POV, soft, they go on a date
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 02:24:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20074582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingsofhawkins/pseuds/kingsofhawkins
Summary: Steve comes back from Indianapolis a week before Summer ends and finds that nothing has changed in Hawkins while he was gone.





	New Hair New Billy

Steve comes back from Indianapolis a week before Summer ends and finds that nothing has changed in Hawkins while he was gone.

Dustin meets him at Star Court Mall by Scoops and they catch up on what Steve did while away which was nothing but listening to his parents bicker the whole time, Dustin catches him up on his girlfriend and how she came to visit under the guise of that Dustin is Amish.

“Ya know, being pretend Amish wasn’t that bad.” Dustin says as he bites into a soft pretzel.

“I can only imagine.” Steve says back while sipping on his cherry slurpee.

“You seem out of it, what’s up?” Dustin mentions as he offers Steve some of his pretzel.

Steve takes the dough and squeezes it into a ball before eating it.

“It’s just, I was expecting something to have happened while I was gone but it’s Hawkins why do I expect anything?” Steve takes more of Dustin’s pretzel and rolls his eyes when the teen complains.

“Because you have a sense of adventure that’s why! I told you, you should do a campaign with the party, you’d could be like a fighter or something dude.” Dustin tells him excitedly.

“I’m not playing that dorky game with your friends, I’m lonely but not that lonely.” Steve takes one last sip of his slurpee before handing it to Dustin.

They sit and talk for a little longer before Steve has to drive Dustin home, he drops the dork off ten minutes early and does the pleasantries with Mrs Henderson before leaving to go home.

Steve’s house is deadly quiet when he gets home which means his parents are either out at the Country Club or in separate rooms, he goes with the Country Club because when he calls out no one answers. Steve takes himself into the kitchen and makes a turkey and ham sandwich before going to sit outside by the pool, never going in. Not after Barb. Steve stays there for a few hours until the sun starts to drop, he then heads inside and there’s still no sign of his parents so he makes himself dinner and heads up to his room to go over his homework for Calculus, after double checking that he takes a shower and falls into bed and is about to go to sleep when the phone calls. Steve picks up the phone on his side table and answers with a groggy hello.

“Hey Steve it’s me Dustin, can you possibly pick up the party tomorrow? We wanna go to the arcade but some of us can’t get there.” Steve takes a moment to register what Dustin’s saying.

“Yeah sure what time?” It’s not like Steve’s got anything better to do.

“Around ten?” Steve agrees says goodbye and hangs up.

He puts the phone back on his side table and rolls over to fall asleep.

* * *

Steve is up and ready by nine and tip toes around the house when he sees his dad sleeping in his office with the door slightly open, he grabs his keys and wallet from the foyer table and sneaks out without waking his dad. Steve drives out of Loch Nora and heads to pick up Mike and Lucas first, he then drives to Dustin’s then Max’s place. Steve honks his horn three times but Max still doesn’t come out.

“Alright shitbirds, stay inside the car.” Steve tells the kids that are bickering with each other in the back seat.

Steve leaves them to walk to the front door and knocks twice before waiting, he vaguely hears music coming from inside the house and thinks maybe that’s why Max can’t hear his horn. The door swings open and Steve takes a step back, Billy is standing there in shorts and a tank top, with a smoke hanging from the side of his mouth.

“Well well well, welcome back Harrington thought you’d moved or something.” Billy says as he leans against the doorframe and takes a drag from his cigarette.

“Uh no, I just spent some time in Indianapolis with my family.” Steve peers over Billy’s shoulder and tries to see if Max is in the house.

“Yeah I don’t care. Anyways what brings you to mi casa?” Billy stubs out his cigarette and tucks it behind his ear. Steve has a moment of panic.

“Where the fuck is your hair?” Steve stares at the short shaved sides and can’t believe his eyes.

“In a trash bin somewhere probably.”

“Why’d you cut it? You love your stupid mullet.” Billy shrugs.

“New year new me or some shit.” Steve sees something flash in Billy’s eyes and realises it wasn’t a choice. Steve lets it go.

“Okay, anyways is Max home? I’m suppose to be taking the kids to the arcade.” Billy stops leaning against the doorframe and snorts.

“When did you become a mother Harrington? Max isn’t here, I dropped her off at the arcade maybe half an hour ago? She wanted a head start on some dumb game or something.” Steve stares at Billy for a moment before cooling his expression.

When did Billy start giving a shit about Max?

“Oh okay then, that’s all I came for... do you need me to pick her up or?” Billy shakes his head.

“I got that covered.” Steve nods once before going to walk away.

“Hey uh, Steve?” That’s the first time Billy’s ever called Steve by his first name.

“Yeah?” Steve turns to look at Billy.

“Would you wanna go out tonight? To like eat?”

“Yeah I’d like that. Pick me up at seven?” Steve has no clue why he’s saying yes, but there’s something in the way that Billy asks that has Steve heart beating just a little quicker.

“Yeah, seven.” Billy nods then closes the door.

Steve walks back to the car and gets in to the kids shouting at him, asking where Max is and why the hell was Steve smiling after talking to one of their mortal enemies. Steve has no good answer.

* * *

Steve takes a full hour to get ready, he tries on what he thinks is fifty shirts before settling on a soft pastel blue button up that has a black horse insignia on the left breast, he rolls the sleeves up and leaves the two top buttons undone he pairs it with a pair of light caramel chinos and his good sneakers because at this point he already looks like he’s going to the Country Club and he doesn’t need to get anymore formal. 

Steve spends a good twenty minutes on his hair, trying to artfully style it with his Farrah Fawcett hairspray. It’s sitting just right when the doorbell rings, Steve has a panic attack before running downstairs to get the door before one of his parents do. He manages to get there before his mom does and begs her to leave after she asks who it is, thankfully she walks away.

“Hey.” Steve says drawn out as he opens the door.

“Hey Harrington.” Billy stands before Steve in a red silk like shirt that’s only buttoned up at the bottom by three buttons, the shirt’s tucked into tight black jeans and Steve can’t help but think Billy’s thighs look good, it’s not gay, it’s just admiring.

“You ready to go?” Billy steps back and lets Steve walk out of the door.

They walk to Billy’s car and Steve knows it’s awkward, could cut the tension with a knife it’s that thick but he gets into the car and waits. Billy pulls out of the driveway and drives them out of Loch Nora, Steve sees a box of cassettes at his feet and picks it up.

“Mind if I?” Steve asks as he holds the box up.

“Be my guest, I don’t think there’s anything in there you’ll like though.” Billy drives through Hawkins as Steve goes through his tapes.

He stops on Guns N’ Roses, he takes out the cassette that was in the radio already and replaces it the first song that plays is Welcome to the Jungle, Tommy use to listen to this album and that’s the only reason Steve knows this band.

Billy drives them out of Hawkins and Steve wonders where he’s taking them, they drive for an hour before Billy pulls into an off the road driveway and drives them further in.

“Are you driving me out to kill me?” Steve asks as they pass by an abandon brick shed.

“Yep that’s the plan.” The road is dark and Steve thinks that Billy’s actually gonna kill him until some light peers through and he can hear music.

“Where are you taking me?”

“Dude chill out, don’t get your panties in a twist and just trust me.” Steve thinks that’s a lot to ask after everything Billy’s done.

The music gets louder as they get closer and Steve can see a diner, it’s bright and cheerful and Steve can’t believe that this is here.

“This diner backs onto a small town just over from Hawkins, we came in the back way.” Billy explains as he parks the car out front.

The two get out and head into the dinner and Steve loves the atmosphere, there’s good music playing and the aroma smells great enough for Steve’s stomach to grumble.

“Hey chickadees, just a table for two?” A woman who looks around Steve’s moms age asks them.

“A booth preferably.” Billy smiles all soft and charming and Steve is partially shocked. Where did soft Billy come from?

The woman smiles back and leads them to a cherry red leathered booth and sits them down with two menus, she excuses herself with the promise to be back.

Steve looks through the menu and decides on fries and a shake because even though he hates to admit it, Steve likes somethings the same. The woman comes back and takes their orders and Steve thanks her.

“Real charmer huh Harrington?” Steve snorts.

“It’s called having manners Hargrove, you should try them.” Billy laughs, it makes Steve’s heart beat fast again.

“I damn well know what manners are, I just prefer not to use ‘em.” Steve rolls his eyes.

“That’s obvious.”

The two talk easily and Steve can’t help but think that maybe if Billy hadn’t been an asshole when they first met maybe they could of been friends.

Their orders come and they eat and talk in between and Steve is having a good time, after dinner they head out into the cold air when Billy suggests going for a walk.

“But first you gotta put a jacket on, you’re teeth are chattering outta ya mouth.” Billy remarks as he grabs a jacket from the backseat of his car.

He hands the leather jacket to Steve and the older boy slips it on and sighs, it’s a tad too small in the arms but it’ll do the job. The two boys walk around for awhile before Billy stops them and forces Steve to look at him.

“So I don’t usually do shit like this coz taking people out on dates is bullshit and I already know you pretty well but I wanted this to be special because I really like you Steve and it scares me because last time I liked a boy, we left Cali and came here and I don’t want to leave stupid Hawkins even though it’s a dump of a place.” Billy says all in one breath like if he doesn’t he’ll never say it.

Steve stares at Billy for a moment before chuckling gently.

“Okay I knew pouring my heart out was a stupid idea. You’re making fun of me and I’m starting to get pissed.” Steve grabs Billy’s hand and bumps their shoulders.

“Calm down for a second, crazy. I just think it was charming or whatever.” Billy looks up at Steve and has a fought back smile on his face.

“Cool.” Steve snorts and Billy laughs as well.

Steve guesses things did change over the Summer.


End file.
